


Euthenics

by flowersheep



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-19
Updated: 2014-09-19
Packaged: 2018-02-17 23:33:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2327216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowersheep/pseuds/flowersheep
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Someday this new little world they've created is going to crumble apart. Until then, Gwen will do everything in her power to find a way to fix it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Euthenics

**Author's Note:**

> For Merlin Femslash Week - Day 6: alternate universes

_Euthenics: a science concerned with bettering the condition of human beings through the improvement of their environment._

  
~  


There was something wrong with the terraforming. Gwen chewed her lip as she poured over the latest data. The little moon was never meant to hold human life, but overpopulation had pushed the approval of an experimental terraforming process. On the surface it had worked. What was once barren rock had become lush fields upon which the beginnings of a settlement were taking shape. The last month had seen the creation of an artificial lake to supply water and the beginnings of a small, dense forest of evergreens. Agriculture was being set up so as to cut down on supply runs from the planet, which were still the main source of food. On paper the terraforming process was a success. But Gwen wasn’t just looking at paper. She was looking at the data and what the data told her was that something had gone wrong somewhere. Horribly wrong.

She scrolled through a few more pages, trying to ignore the way the words and graphs kept blurring before her tired eyes. It was long past midnight, but she couldn’t sleep. Four days had already passed since she first noticed the discrepancy in the test that lead to the realization that the terraforming process hadn’t gone to plan and Gwen was no closer to fixing it. A chin hooked over her shoulder and a smooth voice against her ear asked, “Do you plan on sleeping anytime soon?”

“I have to find out what’s wrong,” Gwen said. “If I don’t the whole thing will fail and all these people are going to die.” Hands smoothed over her shoulders, down across her collar bones, coming to rest lightly on her breasts. Irritated, Gwen pushed the hands away. “I’m serious Morgana. Right now the only way to fix it is to redo the whole process-”

“Which won’t happen because it will take up government time and resources that they don’t want to spare,” Morgana finished. “I know how this works Gwen. How long until it fails?”

“A few months at least. The degradation is slow, but it _is_ inevitable.” Gwen tried to put her hands back on the keyboard but Morgana gently grasped her wrists and held them away. 

“You need sleep, Gwen,” she said. 

Gwen tried to yank her hands free, but Morgana held firm. “No, I need to find a way to fix this.” 

“I doubt passing out in front of your computer will magically present you with the answer.” When Gwen just stared forlornly at the screen Morgana sighed. She let go of Gwen’s wrists to come around in front of her. “Come on,” she said, hauling Gwen out of her chair. “Let’s get you to bed.”

“Morgana-”

“All this data will still be here in the morning. Besides, you said we have a few months. You can afford to take some time to rest.” 

Gwen glanced back at the data again, but didn’t fight it when Morgana led her away from her computer. She knew Morgana was right. What good would she be doing anyone if she passed out on the keyboard? But logic couldn’t silence the niggling guilt she felt that told her she wasn’t doing enough to fix the problem. 

Morgana pulled her over to a corner of the room where a cot was set up. There was a bedroom down the hall, but with every step Gwen took she felt more and more like she was about to fall flat on her face from exhaustion. The cot was tiny. Morgana though was nothing if not determined and she got them squeezed onto it. 

“Go to sleep,” Morgana whispered against Gwen’s hair. Gwen settled against her, enjoying the soothing rhythm of fingers massaging her scalp. She really did need sleep. Every time she blinked her eyes opened a little less until they ceased to open at all and she slipped into a deep slumber.


End file.
